Human Rights and Freedom in Serbia

https://www.humantruth.info/serbia_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2019

#human_rights #serbia #serbia_human_rights

Serbia Republic of Serbia [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	54th best
Location	Europe, The Balkans
Population	8.8m₁
Life Expectancy	74.19yrs (2017)₂

Serbia does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Serbia does the second-best in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₃. It does better than average in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₄, opposing gender inequality₅, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₆ (but amongst the worst in Europe), LGBT equality in the 2020s₇, freethought₈ (but bad for Europe) and in its average Freedom in the World rating (but high for Europe). Serbia doesn't do so well in other areas. Serbia does worse than average in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₉, supporting press freedom₁₀ and in combatting modern slavery₁₁. Attacks and threats against journalists continue with an inedquate response from the government, and in fact pro-government media outlets continued engage in "smear campaigns against independent outlets and journalists"₁₂. Rather than help them protect their people, government officials and institutions treat human rights defenders with hostility₁₂.

1. Serbia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #serbia #tolerance

Compared to Europe (2025)₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
32	Hungary	59.0
33	Monaco	61.1
34	Montenegro	64.3
35	Serbia	67.5
36	Bulgaria	68.8
37	Ukraine	73.9
38	Romania	76.6
39	Macedonia	78.3
40	Georgia	83.0
	Europe Avg	52.39
q=49.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₃
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
49	Cape Verde	65.1
50	Bolivia	65.3
51	Mexico	66.3
52	Serbia	67.5
53	Peru	68.4
54	Bulgaria	68.8
55	Trinidad & Tobago	68.9
56	Bahamas	70.3
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₄. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₄.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₄, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₄.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Serbia stated:

“Threats against independent journalists and media outlets and malicious civil prosecutions jeopardized media freedom. Similar prosecutions affected environmental activists, who also faced excessive use of force by police when protesting. The new social assistance law discriminated against minority communities. An increasing number of refugees and migrants reached Serbia.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₅

“War crimes prosecutions were hampered due to lack of political support, insufficient staff, and other resources at the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor, and weak witness support mechanisms. The Serbian parliament finally appointed a new war crimes prosecutor in May, after an 18-month-long vacancy. Few high ranking officials implicated in serious wartime abuses have been held to account in Serbian courts. [...] Since the establishment of the War Crimes Prosecution Office in 2003, 124 judgments have been issued, 82 people convicted and 42 acquitted.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₂

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₁₀
Pos.		2025₁₀
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
92	Bolivia	54.09
93	Ecuador	53.76
94	Tanzania	53.68
95	Serbia	53.55
96	Brunei	53.47
97	Swaziland	52.86
98	Kosovo	52.73
99	Angola	52.67
	Europe Avg	70.63
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Serbia is 95th in the world with regard to supporting press freedom.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₆

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

“Attacks and threats against journalists continued. The authorities´ response was inadequate. Between January and mid-November, the Independent Journalists´ Association of Serbia (NUNS) registered 75 incidents of violence, threats or intimidation against journalists, including six physical attacks. Pro-government media outlets continued to engage in smear campaigns against independent outlets and journalists.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₂

Averages by decade for Serbia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Serbia:	16.67	72.04
World Rank:	70th	⇡ 66th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₁₁
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 1000₁₁
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
101=	Libya	6.80
101=	Qatar	6.80
103=	Honduras	7.00
103=	Serbia	7.00
105=	Peru	7.10
105=	Iran	7.10
105=	Djibouti	7.10
105=	Bangladesh	7.10
	Europe Avg	5.64
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

With respect to combatting modern slavery, Serbia is 103rd in the world.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₇. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₈, Eritrea₁₈, Indonesia₁₉) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₈, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₂₀.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Serbia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Serbia:	3.30	7.00
World Rank:	66th	⇣ 103rd
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
102=	Mexico	3.5
102=	Indonesia	3.5
102=	Philippines	3.5
102=	Serbia	3.5
102=	Kosovo	5.5
102=	Benin	3.5
102=	Sri Lanka	3.5
102=	Sierra Leone	3.5
	Europe Avg	2.2
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Serbia ranks 100th in the world in terms of its average Freedom in the World rating.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Serbia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	2000s Average	2010s Average
Serbia:	2.4	2.4
World Rank:	82nd	⇡ 80th
World Avg:	3.4	3.4

2.4. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₆
Pos.		2017 Score₆
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
57=	S. Africa	-2
57=	Singapore	-2
57=	Haiti	-2
60=	Serbia	-3
60=	Papua New Guinea	-3
60=	Belarus	-3
60=	India	-3
60=	Qatar	-3
	Europe Avg	3.5
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Serbia is 60th in the world in terms of commentary in Human Rights Watch reports (one of the worst in Europe).

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₃
Pos.		2009 Treaties₃
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
6=	Spain	23
6=	Slovenia	23
6=	Paraguay	23
6=	Serbia	23
6=	Sweden	23
6=	Uruguay	23
14=	Italy	22
14=	Denmark	22
	Europe Avg	19.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Serbia ranks 2nd-best in the world regarding its nominal commitment to Human Rights - only Argentina does better.

There are many international agreements on Human Rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of Human Rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
139	Ivory Coast	12.14
140	Trinidad & Tobago	12.26
141	Turkmenistan	12.35
142	Serbia	12.44
143	Indonesia	12.45
144	S. Africa	12.51
145	Bahrain	12.55
146	Haiti	12.61
	Europe Avg	9.09
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Serbia ranks 142nd in the world with regard to speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

Serbia is on the way towards ending gender inequality.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₅
Pos.		2022₅
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
29	Belarus	0.10
30	Lithuania	0.10
31	Poland	0.11
32	Serbia	0.12
33	Czechia	0.12
34	Greece	0.12
35	Albania	0.12
36	Montenegro	0.12
	Europe Avg	0.12
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Serbia comes 32nd in the world when it comes to opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Data starts in 2006, so the 2000s average may be a little skewed due to low number of datapoints.

Averages by decade for Serbia (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	2000s Average	2010s Average
Serbia:	0.22	0.16
World Rank:	36th	36th
World Avg:	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₄
Pos.		2022 %₄
1	Sweden	31.8₂₂
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₃
3	Australia	37.0₂₃
	...
18	Greece	64.9₂₃
19	Hungary	67.3₂₄
20	Argentina	74.3₂₃
21	Serbia	77.6₂₃
22	Singapore	77.6₂₃
23	Bulgaria	78.2₂₄
24	Estonia	78.3₂₂
25	Uruguay	78.6₂₂
	Europe Avg	69.08
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Serbia ranks 21st in the world with regard to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators).

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₉
Pos.		2014 %₉
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
71=	Colombia	41
71=	Hungary	41
71=	Dominican Rep.	41
74	Serbia	42
75=	Bulgaria	44
75=	Mauritius	44
77	Poland	45
78	Indonesia	48
	Europe Avg	29.9
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Serbia ranks 75th in the world regarding its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₅_,₂₆_,₂₇_,₂₈. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₂₉, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₀_,₃₁. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₂. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₃.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#2020s #equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

“Attacks on and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and activists occurred regularly. Serbian LGBT rights organization DA SE ZNA!, between August 2016 and August 2017, recorded ... nine physical attacks, 12 threats and 56 cases of hate speech [but] investigations are often slow and prosecutions rare.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₂

There is hope that things will change for the better; the Pride parade in 2017 took place "without major incidents", and, the Serbian prime minister is openly lesbian, indicating that a large part of the electorate are not heavily prejudiced.

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₇
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score₇
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
65=	Ukraine	1.09
66	Bermuda	1.08
67	Kosovo	1.03
68	Serbia	1.01
69	Latvia	0.99
70	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.99
71	Belize	0.90
72=	Lesotho	0.89
	Europe Avg	1.77
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

When it comes to LGBT equality in the 2020s, Serbia comes 68th in the world.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₄. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₃₅. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₃₆. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s₃₇_,₃₈. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

" LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Homosexuality in Serbia has been legal since 1994 after a long period, since 1860, during which being homosexual was illegal. Equal age of consent was gained in 2006. Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned, and civil unions are not recognized. Discrimination protections exist in law, but enforcement is weak, and social stigma remains high. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Serbia had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, hate crime, incitement and other protections.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ Supported the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
⇡ Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Averages by decade for Serbia (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
Serbia:	-3.00	-3.00	-1.25	2.75	2.20	1.01
World Rank:	79th	⇣ 85th	⇡ 80th	⇡ 32nd	⇣ 55th	⇣ 68th
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₈
Pos.		2021₈
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
94=	Lesotho	3.0
94=	Switzerland	3.0
94=	El Salvador	3.0
94=	Serbia	3.0
94=	Cyprus	3.0
94=	Ivory Coast	3.0
94=	Spain	3.0
94=	Grenada	3.0
	Europe Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Serbia comes 88th in the world regarding freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₃₉. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₀. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₁ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₂. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₃. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₈_,₄₄ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₈_,₄₅.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₆. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₀, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₄₇ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₈ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).